I hadn't expected it to be quite as large as it was, although I was still inclined to call it "quaint" and homey. Once I'd traversed the entirety of Main Street, I followed my GPS up the mountain, and quite a ways up, I saw the main buildings for the resort.

  The Snowed Inn and Lodge were rustic, log cabin-type buildings that reminded me of a gingerbread house. The pictures didn't do it justice.

  After parking the car, I threw the strap of my duffle bag over my shoulder and grabbed my laptop bag, then traipsed through the slightly heavier snowfall to the entrance of the Inn. When I stepped foot inside, I was overwhelmed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere—they'd decorated with cream walls and dark wood molding. Pictures of winter scenes hung on the walls, snowmen decorations were scattered about, and the smell of freshly baked cookies made my stomach rumble. Apparently, loud enough for the tall, red-haired man standing behind the front desk to look up from his computer and chuckle.

  "Welcome to The Snowed Inn," he greeted with a bright smile that made the freckles on his pale skin stand out. Then he winked and tilted his head toward a platter of homemade cookies. "Help yourself. There are a variety of cookies, so be sure to take a few. Our baker likes to use our guests as guinea pigs for her new recipes." He laughed, and I couldn't help joining him—while I grabbed several different types of cookies.

  Sweets were a weakness for me, particularly the baked kind. But, as I had no willpower to stay away from them, I visited the gym regularly. My metabolism could handle them now, but I wanted to stay in the habit because the time would inevitably come when I'd end up well on my way to what my sister called a "dad bod."

  "Colin Ferguson," he introduced himself, holding out a hand.

  I shook it and responded in kind. "Caleb Adler." Every time I gave them that name, it rolled off the tongue without hesitation; it always had. Because, while most of my family called me by my first name, Preston, my friends referred to me by my first middle name, Caleb. Adler was also a middle name, so I dropped Barrington to stay off the radar when I started making these covert visits.

  "Checking in?"

  "Yes. Through the twenty-fifth."

  Ten minutes later, I unlocked the door to my room—with a vintage, brass skeleton key—and was impressed with the cozy yet luxurious feel. The decor was along the lines of what I'd seen in the lobby—including more snowmen. A gas fireplace adorned the wall across from the king-size bed with its soft, white bedspread. As I poked around, I found all the standard hotel amenities-- robes, and slippers, as well as a heated bathroom floor and towel rack. I'd booked a suite, so I had a living room/kitchenette between two rooms. I was surprised to see one wall of the center room had a mural. It was clearly hand printed and absolutely gorgeous, depicting a snowy mountain scene. The other part of the suite had the most incredible view. Most of the rooms at the back of the Inn and Lodge looked out over the black diamond ski runs—a spectacular display of mountains, snow, and trees. Somehow, they'd managed to make an entire resort feel intimate, like you'd come to visit family.

  How did I not know about this place? Any other time, I would have been in my personal heaven. This place was like something straight out of the dreams I’d had once upon a time as a college boy.

  My phone vibrated, disturbing my peaceful moment, and when I saw an added conference call to my calendar, it jerked me back to reality. You're here for work, Caleb. Get your head on straight.

  Sighing, I quickly unpacked, then pulled out my laptop and sat at the small, antique-inspired writing desk. I booted up the computer, and jotted down notes on everything I'd seen so far, doing so with an impartial, objective eye.

  For the next several days, I intended to fade into the woodwork to observe and report.

  But fate had other plans.

  Chapter 2

  Raven

  Two days until Christmas!

  That thought was both exciting and terrifying.

  Running an inn and ski lodge meant that winter was my busiest time, especially during the holidays. However, it was my dream job, and Christmas was my favorite time of year, so I dealt with the chaos by clinging to the season’s cheer. And a massive blizzard bearing down on Winter Falls wasn’t exactly unusual. I’d lived here all of my life; I knew how to handle snow. For Pete’s sake, I learned to drive in a blizzard—a car and a sleigh.

  “Are you sure you have everything taken care of?” my mom asked.

  She was using her worried tone; the one she used every time we talked about the family business I’d taken over when I was twenty-two years old. My parents ran it together until my dad had a stroke, and the doctor told him he had to knock off the stress in his life. My brother, sister, and I had grown up in this town, practically raised at the resort, but neither of my siblings had any desire to take over. My older brother, Jake, went off to travel the world as a professional snowboarder. Cammie, my younger sister, wanted a simpler life, working as a ski instructor and medic at the resort. That left me. I was young, but I’d worked hard to make sure I’d be ready to run the Inn and Lodge someday. It was sooner than any of us anticipated, but my dad believed I could do it.

  My mom, on the other hand, still tried to micro-manage me (my entire life, really), even though I’d kept this place in tip-top shape for the last three years. I’d even made changes to improve energy conservation, reduce waste, and other modernization strides to keep up with the trends. However, it was even more annoying that she didn’t think I could run the place by myself. My mom had always been a bit old-fashioned, and she couldn’t seem to wrap her head around a situation where an independent woman, such as myself, could survive this level of responsibility without a man.

  “Of course, she does, Francie!” I heard my dad bellow in the background. “Stop pestering the girl and let her do her job!”

  “It’s a major blizzard, Stan,” she argued.

  “It’s just a couple of flakes!”

  I stifled a laugh. My dad had been saying that about major snowstorms for as long as I could remember. I’d taken to using it too, and it never failed to make Colin, my assistant manager, roll his eyes and grumble.

  “Mom,” I sighed. “I have everything under control. We had a meeting with the mayor today, and we’re all on top of it. Now, I really need to go because we have a couple of big groups checking in. I’ll see you Christmas Eve.”

  “Oh, that reminds me, honey. Jake’s friend, Lincoln, is in town, and we invited him over for dinner on Christmas Eve. So make sure you wear that pretty, red sweater I bought you, with the black pleated skirt, and don’t try wearing any of those ridiculous heels you like. You’ll break your neck and lose your chance with Lincoln. Did you finally cut your hair like I told you to? If not, you should put it in a twist or something. It’s so long it makes your chin look pointy, and don’t forget—”

  Good grief. “Mom!” I interrupted loudly. “You are not setting me up on Christmas Eve! It’s a time for family. One of the few days a year that I shouldn’t have to worry about you throwing men at me.”

  “Raven!” she gasped. Then she huffed, “Really!”

  “I’ll be sure to wear my light-up Christmas sweater and candy cane leggings. See you then!” I hung up before she started up again and monopolized another thirty minutes of my day for no other reason than she refused to see me as a grown-up and woman capable of running her own life and business.

  “Still thinks you’re a teenager, huh?” Colin asked with a grin as he leaned his shoulder on the door jamb of my office. His amusement somehow made his hair redder and his freckles pop on his pale skin.

  “What else is new?”

  “You know, I’ve met Jake’s friend. He’s pretty hot and—hey!”

  I launched one of the stuffed snowmen from my desk at his head. “That’s for eavesdropping—” I threw another one, but he was prepared and caught it,“—and that’s for being a son of a motherless reindeer.”

  “Now, that’s just hurtful,” he said with a sad expression that couldn’t be more fake.

  “Did you need something? Or did you just come to annoy me?” I asked, catching the snowmen he tossed back to me.

  “I brought the checklist.” He came into the office and took a seat in a chair across from me, lifting his precious clipboard that seemed to be attached to him like another appendage.

  However, I could only give him limited grief about it because he was a major reason this place ran so smoothly. We’d met in college and became fast friends. I’d seen his work ethic and knew how determined he was when he set a goal. So when my father passed the inn on to me, I asked Colin to come on board as my assistant manager. His degree was in business, but he’d never considered hospitality, so he’d been a little unsure at first. However, he enjoyed a challenge, so he accepted the position. We worked together like hot chocolate and marshmallows. I couldn’t survive the job and my mom if he weren’t around.

  Although, it had been a little dicey when I brought him home for dinner, and my mom assumed we were about to announce our engagement. She hadn’t been amused when Colin and I fell over on the couch, laughing our butts off. The idea of us as a couple was ridiculous.

  Don’t get me wrong. The ginger hair, green eyes, and a slight lilt that came from spending his childhood in Ireland were sexy. There was just zero chemistry between us, and we were too much alike. I probably would’ve ended up smothering him with one of my snowman-covered pillows.

  But, he made an excellent buffer, and despite my mother’s constant grumbling, he enjoyed coming home with me to watch a game or play cards with my dad, who loved him. Colin couldn’t always be there, though. He’d gone home for Thanksgiving, and then ended up on a last minute trip to Ireland for a funeral.

  While things had been just fine at the inn, it hadn’t been as much fun. Also, something had happened while he was gone, but I hadn’t been able to get a straight answer out of him about it yet. So pestering him was frequently on my todo list. Since he gave as good as he got, it had become one of our many jokes. Which just went to my point about how much fun we had.

  Which made it even worse when dinner at my parent’s house had been a disaster since my mother tried to set me up with her friend’s cousin’s sister’s son. He was a single doctor who almost put me to sleep just introducing himself to me.

  When Colin returned, I begged him never to leave again. He’d laughed, but I’d only been two-thirds joking… In fact, his Christmas present this year was an offer to become a partner in the business. My dad had loved the idea the second I brought it up—my mother still didn’t know. She’d be harassing me over Colin taking what should rightfully belong to my future husband. She acted like it was my virginity.

  Which just so happened to be intact, but not because I was saving it for a ring. I simply hadn’t met a guy who interested me enough to take that step. Cheese balls and snowflake crackers. This train of thought was a rabbit hole I didn’t have time to traverse.

  Colin and I spent the next hour going over our checklists for the holiday events and blizzard prep. The storm had been working its way toward us and had only gained strength, so we’d had plenty of time to get ready. Our storerooms of food, amenities and other supplies were fully stocked. We also made sure we had extra towels and sheets for the rollaway beds because there were always stranded people who weren’t overnight guests.

  The Winter Falls Resort employees made sure to give the skiers a weather warning but there were always those stubborn enough not to listen, so we did our best to accommodate them.

  “Alright,” Colin said as he ran his eyes down his list one more time. “Looks like we’re good to go.”

  “Yep. Oh, make sure the snowblowers are gassed up, and we have plenty of shovels on hand. We gave a bunch of them to ski patrol last year to put in the shacks. Unfortunately, I forgot to order new ones. So we need to borrow some or see if Jack still has some. And if you even think about telling my mother that I forgot about shovels when I run a ski resort, I will make you shovel every walkway by yourself,” I warned.

  Colin smirked at my bluff but didn’t acknowledge it. “I spoke with Gavin yesterday, and he reminded me about the depleted supply. I called Quinn, and she thinks they still have a couple dozen at the market. Jack brought them up this morning.”

  “Bless you,” I said with a shallow bow. Quinn and her grandfather ran Winter Falls Market, and while they were too small to be a significant supplier for the resort, they were our go-to for small things or when we were in a major pinch, like now.

  “It’s my job,” Colin said with a shrug before he stood and walked to the door. I was surprised he hadn’t taken the bait and made a smartass comment in return. But I should’ve waited another second because he paused and looked back at me, pretending to straighten something invisible on his head. “Is my halo crooked?”

  I laughed and launched another snowman, barely missing his head as he quickly ducked out of the room.

  An hour or so later, my desk phone sang to life with the front desk caller ID. “What’s up?” I asked after hitting the speaker button.

  “Hey, Raven. Is there anyone you could send up to help at the front desk?” My desk manager, Cassie, sounded harried and stressed. “Piper called in sick, and there’s a huge group checking in.”

  From the sounds of the people in the background, they were an impatient bunch, and I immediately worried about how they might be treating Cassie. “Sure, honey. I’ll be right there.”

  Cassie sighed with relief. “Thanks. Sorry to pull you up front.”

  “Don’t be silly. I love to help.”

  I hung up and threw on my red fleece vest with the company logo over my long-sleeved, white thermal before leaving the office. After locking my door, I tucked the keys into the pocket of my jeans and hurried across the Lodge to the entrance that connected it with the Inn. Several people called my name, and I waved enthusiastically, promising to say a proper hello as soon as I could.

  A particular person caught my eye when I was near the door, and my body involuntarily slowed just a bit. A tall man—at least a foot over my five foot five height—stood near the fireplace, drinking from a steaming mug. He was muscular but lean in a way that hinted he skied regularly. He had model good looks with chiseled features, light brown hair that was a little shaggy with unruly curls—somehow looking very GQ even though I could tell it wasn’t styled. He had piercing green eyes, and I shivered when I realized they were trained on me.

  I’d seen him around over the last few days and had been shocked at my physical response to him. There hadn’t been a guy who’d drawn more than a passing appreciation for years, and yet, one look at this guy and I was practically melting. I’d been tempted to talk to him, but I didn’t want to fall under his spell and break my rule. I didn’t do flings, and becoming involved with someone from out of town couldn’t be more than that.

  So, I tore my eyes off the ridiculously sexy guy in his gray thermal and ski pants—which made his powerful body look awesome—and hurried to join Cassie at the check-in desk.

  The waiting crowd looked grumpy and impatient, but I didn’t think they’d graduated to anger and rudeness yet. Diffusing situations like this was something I’d always excelled at and one of the reasons my dad believed the family business was in good hands with me. I strived to prove him right every day, but unlike my mom, I knew my dad would still think I was perfect even if we went bankrupt. Don’t get me wrong, she loved us, but Dad had always been the more loving and affectionate parent.

  “Hey, all!” I said cheerfully. “Welcome to The Snowed Inn!” A few people gave me small smiles in return, while the rest just acknowledged me with a grunt or nod. “I’m sorry for the wait, but Santa refused to send any elves to help.” I sighed dramatically, and there were a few titters in the room. “Cassie and I will get everyone checked-in and on their way as soon as possible. I’ve been excellent all year, and I don’t intend to end up on the naughty list with two days to go. Can you imagine?” I shook my head to a few more laughs. “In the meantime, there are fresh cookies, coffee, hot chocolate, and cider on the table over there. Help yourselves!”

  I slipped behind the desk and logged into one of the two computers Cassie wasn’t using. “Who’s next?”

  An older couple stomped up, and the woman opened her mouth, no doubt to say something she would hopefully regret later. “Welcome! What a lovely scarf,” I said before she could speak. She looked a little taken aback and glanced down at her multi-colored, crocheted scarf before looking back at me.

  “Thank you. My granddaughter made it for me.”

  I looked suitably impressed…which I genuinely was because the scarf was gorgeous. “She made it? Wow, she’s very talented, Mrs…?”

  Her cheeks flushed with pink, and she beamed with pride. “Yes, she is! Oh, Mrs. Cooper. I keep telling her she should start a shop.”

  “Checking in until the twenty-sixth?” I asked as I pulled up their reservation. “What does she want to do instead?”

  “Yes,” her husband jumped in. He puffed out his chest so far I thought he might pop a button. “She’s going to be a doctor, like me.”

  “Smart and talented. I suppose she gets that from you two? I just need a credit card and license, please.”

  “They get it from their mother,” he replied.

  Mrs. Cooper smiled as she handed me a card, and I swiped it as she began to gush about her daughter and two other grandchildren. Apparently, they would be joining the couple the following day to celebrate Christmas at the resort together.

  “What a fun holiday! I love Christmas in Winter Falls. Let me just get your keys, and I’ll have you on your way to the slopes in no time!” I turned and opened a box on the wall, grabbing the two antique keys that opened room twenty-five. “Here you are, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. I hope your stay is merry, and be sure to introduce me to your family sometime. And don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.”